Zimbabwe president’s media lash out at Obama

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Zimbabwe president’s party says U.S. President Barack Obama’s calls for more democratic reforms ahead of elections in this southern African nation are “hypocritical.”

Zimbabwe state radio reported Monday that Christopher Mutsvangwa, a former ambassador to China appointed by President Robert Mugabe, said Obama, currently visiting Africa, voiced “a sinister plan” to influence Zimbabwe’s elections to oust longtime ruler Mugabe, 89.

Speaking in Cape Town Sunday, Obama criticized Zimbabwe for bad governance and said the country is unlikely to have fair elections later this month due to fear and insecurity among voters and bias by the police and military.

In response Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper said Obama did not acknowledge American law-breaking in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. The newspaper said Obama was mired in “international barbarism, drone assassinations and spying.”